


To Kiss the Son of Hades

by Serketchaos



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, also sally dies, dumb boys kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-07 16:25:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1905789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serketchaos/pseuds/Serketchaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a skill, an artistic talent, really, to kissing Nico di Angelo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Kiss the Son of Hades

**Author's Note:**

> this feels wonky

_i. their first kiss can only be described as painfully awkward._

Nico's sitting next to Percy as they play video games together, pressing buttons in quick succession getting his character to beat Percy's to a pulp. Percy doesn't mind, he's not paying much attention anyway. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Nico's pale skin nearly glowing in the darkness of the room around him. He can see the focused, intense, unwavering look of concentration Nico wears. 

It is oddly alluring. 

They sit close, shoulder to shoulder. Their knees knock together occasionally. Whenever Percy gets a good hit in on Nico's character he feels Nico tense up and then the sound of clacking of the joysticks getting pushed forward follows. Percy's avatar goes with them with them and Nico makes a quiet satisfied noise.

"Once more," Percy says, and so they go another around.

The silence between them, save for the noise coming from their game is comfortable. Not so long ago it would have been strained; tight and awkward. How many years has it taken for them to get here? Too many, Percy thinks as he looks over to the boy.

He's thinking that Nico has changed so much in the span of time that they've known each other. When Nico was ten he was a bundle of curious, excitable energy in love with Mythomagic. When he was fourteen and fresh out of Tartarus he was nothing, not even the ghost of, the person Percy first met. Now, at the age of sixteen he is finally leaving the past behind him.

He wonders if that means he's finally going to be able to move forward.

There are other things too. Nico's always been thin, but he's no longer painfully so. He's filled out just a little, and though he hasn't grown much in height, Percy knows that Nico's a force to be reckoned with. The boyish roundness that all boys have when they're little has left him, and has been replaced with sharp angles. 

His hair, which has always been a little long and messy, is now just barely long enough to be tied back into a stub of a ponytail when they spar. Right now though, it's hanging in his eyes as it always has, and Percy notices the bruises under Nico's eyes; dark as always, but no longer making him look like the dead he commands.

Then, just as Nico turns to ask what Percy's problem is, Percy moves in without thought. He presses his mouth to Nico's and kisses him square on the lips. But before Percy can even think about how it sends a rush through his whole body, or the fact that for a brief second Nico's mouth was hard with half formed words, Nico lets out an indignant squawk of surprise, and pushes Percy off.

Nico shadow travels somewhere far, far away before Percy can even think to stop him.

 

_ii. their second kiss is no better._

After tracking Nico down and sorting through a lot of feelings neither of them know how to fully talk about, they come to the conclusion that they both do indeed like each other quite a lot, and that they would like to try the whole dating thing.

Surprisingly, no, their second kiss does not come here, after this.

The second kiss comes much like the first, where Percy just leans in because he wants to a day later, pressing his mouth to Nico's. Nico gasps and pushes Percy away, much like the first time but with less shadow travelling, looking over his shoulder fretfully, making sure no one was looking. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Percy wonders if he's a terrible kisser.

 

_iii. you know what they say: third time is the charm._

Percy's in the drivers seat, and Nico sits beside him in the passengers seat, of course. They've only been sitting in the driveway for a grand total of about five seconds, but five seconds is a long time when you've just come home from a fun date and you don't want the night to end just yet.

They'd gone to the arcade and Nico had creamed everyone at every game there was. Percy had mostly watched in awe as Nico lit up in the quiet way that he does-- the quiet smile that turns up the corners of his mouth, the slight intake of breath, the nearly minuscule way he leans in with rapt attention-- and watched as the tickets spilled out of the machine.

Nico had wanted to take home one of the large prizes, he had more than enough tickets for it. If there was something that came out of being trapped in a hotel for upwards of five decades, Percy supposed the ability to get whatever arcade prize you wanted without spending horrific amounts of money could be considered a perk. But Nico did not end up getting the prize he wanted.

No, instead Nico was, in the end, Nico, and noticed the things no one else did. There had been a kid hanging around with some friends with only a few tickets while all his friends had handfuls upon handfuls of tickets. So Nico did what Nico does, and gave all his tickets, every last one, to the kid. 

They'd gone home then, which is why they now sat in the driveway, unwilling to go their separate ways.

"I, um, had fun today," Percy says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah," Nico says, just as awkwardly, keeping his eyes down. "Me too."

Percy drums his fingers off the steering wheel for a second and then he says, "Hey Nico?" and looks over.

Nico looks up questioningly, and Percy's reaching over to cup the back of Nico's neck to gently pull him over. Nico lets him and they lean in towards each other slowly. Percy stops just before their lips touch and lets Nico come to him.

For a very brief moment, Percy doesn't think Nico will close the tiny gap between them that feels like a canyon, but then he does. There's a slight intake of breath and then Nico kisses Percy softly, gently, sweetly. He tastes of black olives; a little bitter, a little salty, a taste that Percy finds isn't bad, and he tastes of shadows. 

Nico pulls away too soon if you asked Percy, but then he's leaning back in for one more and, okay, so their fourth kiss is pretty good too.

 

_iv. and there are a few things to get used to._

Percy's come to realize Nico doesn't like public displays of affection. Even so much as a friendly arm around his shoulder can make him flush hot under the collar and shrink away. Oh, sure, its fine when Jason does it, friendly touches from Jason and his sister are allowed, but its different with Percy. Percy is his boyfriend. _He's different._ But then again, hasn't he always been different to Nico?

"I'll get over it," Nico tells him. "Just give me time." 

It's hardly been any time at all since Nico told him that, and Percy knows it. That's why when he does have his arm around Nico when they're talking to the Stoll twins and he turns to steal a quick fish's kiss from Nico, he shouldn't be as surprised as he is when Nico flees.

 

_v. Nico has fears._

The first time Nico kisses Percy, really kisses him like he's always wanted to it's like nothing Percy's ever experienced.

Nico holds him tight, his hands fisted in the cloth of his hoodie and he kisses him right on the mouth. He's a little desperate, and what he lacks in experience he makes up for in enthusiasm. When he pulls away there's hardly a chance for Percy to catch his breath before Nico's kissing him again, just as eagerly and hungrily as the first.

It's somewhere in the third kiss that Percy finally notices Nico's shaking, and that his grip hasn't at at all lessened on his hoodie. Percy pulls away, and has to dodge yet another kiss. He sees the panic in Nico's face, the fear that comes with rejection. Slowly Percy works Nico's white knuckles hand free of his now permanently wrinkled sweater. 

"It's okay," he whispers, rubbing his thumbs in gentle circles over Nico's knuckles.

"I'm sorry--" he starts.

"It's okay," Percy says again, wanting to hear none of the unneeded apologies, and this time pulling Nico over for a much more gentle kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

There's a beat of silence, and they're a fraction of an inch apart, close enough that their noses bump each other, and close enough that they can see nothing but each other. Nico's holding Percy's hand tight, but not enough to hurt, just like he's making sure Percy really isn't going anywhere, not without him. Then, there it is, the tiniest smile that makes his dark eyes crinkle at the corners.

He's beautiful, Percy thinks, pressing Nico's hand up to his lips. Nico is beautiful and he doesn't know how he never noticed before.

"Good," Nico says.

 

_vi. but Percy has learned to quell them._

Neither of them can escape it: Tartarus. It haunts them. It makes them prisoners in their own minds, ensnaring them and pulling them down into its dark depths again and again, unrelenting and unforgiving.

Percy has it better than Nico, having had Annabeth there with him to ride out the storm. He had someone who understood exactly what it was like and together they figured it out. Most nights he can rest easy now, and it's a miracle to be sure. Nico on the other hand, is not so lucky. He braved Tartarus by himself, and no one knows but him exactly how terrible that was.

The loneliness grips him more often than not, and in the rare moments he's able to catch a bit of shut eye, its restless. He tosses and turns, and when he wakes up he's more exhausted than when he first went to sleep. In turn he avoids sleeping as much as he can.

Percy finds he sleeps better when they sleep together-- not sexually, not yet, Nico's uncomfortable with even the thought of that right now, and Percy's willing to wait. He finds too, that kissing Nico upon waking is a good way to relax him. He laughs one time, thinking he's prince charming waking his sleeping beauty.

 

_vii. communication is something that needs to be learned_

For some reason for the past few days, Percy's notice that Nico's been short with him. Not short, like, his height, because he _is_ short, but he's been testy. He's been keeping his arms crossed and the ever present frown on his face has grown deeper. He doesn't want to be touched, which would be par for the course if Percy wasn't, you know, his _boyfriend_.

Percy doesn't know what he did wrong. He hasn't said anything or done anything that he knows of, and Nico, is staying true to himself and refusing to talk about it. He tries calling Jason who laughs and says he can't talk about it, which really makes Percy bristle because why does Jason get to know?

A thought occurs to him. Could it be that Nico is losing interest in him? The amount of panic and worry that shoots through every nerve in his body surprises him. Jason and Nico have always been close. There's nothing to worry about. But, then again, Jason knew what Nico was angry about _and_ he'd laughed. 

Part of him understands he's being irrational, but the more dominant, more ADHD rattled part of him insists that, no, Nico is definitely losing interest and maybe his eyes aren't slowly turning to Jason, but they are in cahoots with one another. It's the same part of him that's telling him to run all the way to the Underworld to see Nico and get this fixed as soon as physically possible, but luckily the functioning part of his brain that limits him to pacing in the apartment.

But, he thinks a little while later when he's almost bursting with anticipation, what if Nico doesn't stop by? The rational part of him knows he's being over dramatic as he stuffs his feet into his shoes, and hurriedly throws on a jacket, but it's not making itself heard.

And then BAM! Percy runs straight into Nico who shadow travelled into the apartment at the same moment Percy was about to leave.

"Nico!" he says.

"Percy," Nico grunts. Anything else Nico has to say is effectively cut off by Percy's kiss, deep and hot. His hands grip Nico's upper arms tightly, to keep him from running away.

When he pulls away, breathing heavily, he says, "I'm sorry-- not for running into you, but for whatever I did that made you angry with me."

Nico only smiles and pulls Percy down for a kiss, just as hot and deep as the one before. It feels and tastes like forgiveness so the questions of what exactly is going on can wait.

Later Nico admits he thought Percy was losing interest in him because he'd not kissed him properly in a couple weeks and he thought he was overreacting and trying to not seem clingy or whatever. Percy laughed and said he'd been thinking the same thing just the other way around.

 

_viii. they've got to remember the little things_

Percy works at Camp-Half blood in his spare time, training the young, newer generation of demigods. It's a good job, and working gives him a sense of normalcy. Well, as normal as teaching partly divine children how to sword fight so that they can keep the monsters at bay can make a guy feel.

Surprisingly it's a lot of work. Percy's gotta be there early to get the equipment ready and decide of the kids are ready to move onto the next thing, or if they still need to practise the basics. He needs to think of who to partner with who because they're all advancing at different speeds and yeah, Jill was a great partner for Peter last week, but she's improved so much Peter's not going to learn anything.

Nico's already up and wandering around the apartment-- they'd watched movies until late o'clock and it was easier for Nico to just stay the night-- when Percy peels himself out of bed. Somehow, even though he gets out of bed on time, every morning he's jumping into his pants last minutes and trying to tug a shirt over his head at the same time, trying to get out the the door as fast as he can.

"Oh," he gasps, "I forgot." And he's stumbling back into the apartment to steal a quick kiss that leaves them both smiling, before heading out the door.

 

_ix. all things considered this was bound to happen._

Slowly Nico grows more comfortable being intimate with Percy. He's less timid about touching the places that would be off limits to anyone else, like the small of Percy's back. He has grown from chaste kisses, to longer, lingering kisses that steal the breath from Percy's lungs. Kisses that make Percy wonder how he could have ever went without them, and kisses that make his head spin.

Percy's hovering over Nico, as they lay on his couch, back at home in Manhattan. His mom has gone out to do some errands and they've taken advantage of the alone time to do some kissing.

Percy mouths at Nico's neck, sure to be leaving a small bruise or two. Nico drags Percy's mouth back up to his own, preferring to let Percy drown him than feel the fire elsewhere. Percy's fingers skitter under Nico's shirt over skin that is only just regaining its lovely olive complexion, and Nico arches into him, eager for more.

Each kiss shared feels like _finally_.

They lose themselves in each other, with fumbling hands and eager mouths. Percy doesn't even notice the light squeak the couch makes with their movement. He definitely does not hear the sound of the door bolt unlocking until it's too late, when his mother is rushing in, flustered with frazzled hair and hands flapping about as she hurriedly says: "I forgot my wallet and my phone, can you believe it?"

She turns, wallet and phone now in hand, half in the middle of saying: "And Percy remember to take out the garbage!" when she finally sees them on the couch, tangled together, with puffy red mouths, and Percy's hands on the exposed skin of Nico's torso; Nico's shirt rucked up under his arms. Percy can feel the embarrassment creeping up into his face, but Nico might be worse, trying to hide his face against Percy's chest. The tips of his ears are bright pink and the plant across the room starts to wilt.

But Percy's got the coolest mom in the world. She only smiles and finishes her sentence, saying she'll be back at 5 o'clock, and heads out the door again.

"I can't show my face around here ever again," Nico mutters, still trying to make himself as small as possible. He hasn't disappeared, which is good, though Percy can tell he wants to. He takes it to mean Nico is more comfortable with him now than he thought; less prone to running away.

Percy pulls away to look Nico right in the eyes. He sees the ancient light within him burn and leans in slowly like he's learned to do, and kisses Nico gently, cupping Nico's face in his hands. He can feel the tension leave the others' body. This is how he needs to be kissed right now, slowly and with feeling. Nico needs to know he's being understood in this moment, and Percy's giving him that.

He's letting him know that its alright, nothing has changed, his mom doesn't think any less of him, and if he doesn't mind, Percy would very much like to go back to kissing him. Percy tells Nico all of this in one easy brush of the lips and the shy smile he feels appear on Nico's mouth let's him know he's been understood.

 

_x. but make no mistake Nico can be bold when he wants._

It happens on days where they've both been busy; Nico in the Underworld, and Percy at camp. Percy will wander back into his apartment well past dinner time and before the door has shut behind him he'll find a familiar weight pressing against him, and stretching up to pull Percy down.

Fingers will thread through his hair and cradle his face; nothing but gentle touches. The kiss itself, on the other hand, will be hot and searing, like lava cracking up through the ground. It'll cause an ache to grow within Percy, but not in the way you might think, though it does. This ache, however, is more of a longing for something he never knew he was missing until this very moment, and a desire to hold Nico so close he forgets where he ends and Nico starts, until his mouth and Nico's taste one and the same.

And the thing is, Nico lets Percy lead. Percy knows Nico's boundaries, and won't cross them, he wouldn't think of it, but Nico's letting him decide how rough or gentle and it's nice for this trust to be put into him.

 

_xi. new years rolls around and even Nico makes exceptions._

It's always a party when the children of prophecy get together. They see each other regularly, but with how busy life can be its not often they're all together, and hardly ever do they have the chance to just live it up like this. 

Loud music plays, and of course there are drinks for all. Distantly the New Year party plays on TV with the latest pop stars and rappers and whoever else doing their thing by jumping around on stage. There's laughter all around, smiles to be shared, and stories to be told. If you asked anyone of the people here, tucked tightly together in Jason's apartment because it is _so_ his turn to host the party, they'd say this is what home feels like.

Even Nico, pressed against Percy's side, would agree. How it came up, Percy doesn't remember, but they were talking and suddenly the son of Hades was saying: "Despite everything they're the closest thing I have to a real family. Well, besides Hazel, that is." And if that didn't make Percy's heart swell with affection, he doesn't know what would.

Hazel and Frank show up late, bringing the cold winter air with them, but that doesn't stop Hazel to from running over to her brother and kissing his cheeks saying she's missed him so much, and it doesn't stop Nico from smiling this big, bright, warm, happy smile as he says they saw each other just a couple of weeks ago. Hazel throws her arms around her brother and Percy doesn't need to be told that he's going to be the third wheel for a while. 

So, he gets up to mingle with the rest of his friends for a while, beer in hand. Piper is in the kitchen with Annabeth and they're laughing together so hard that their cheeks are flushed bright red. He tries to pop in to say hello, but he gets shooed out with a flick of a towel and Annabeth accusing him of just wanting to sneak off with a plate of d'oeuvres before they're ready. She isn't entirely wrong

Everyone else, everyone else being Jason, Frank, Leo and Renya, are seated at a table with some cards just behind the couch Nico and Hazel are sitting on. Percy pulls out a chair and asks to be dealt in. They're playing Crazy 8's, and while that sounds unexciting, things get heated fast. Pretty soon they're all slamming down their cards yelling "LAST CARD!" only to have a string of two's be put down and then the queen of spades and "PICK UP THIRTEEN!"

Piper yells from the kitchen that they better not be breaking her table.

At some point they're all playing cards, squished beside each other. The table too, can barely contain all the plates of food Annabeth and Piper have put together, their drinks, and enough room for the ever growing pile of cards-- playing with two decks is tough.

As it turns out, Nico's mastery of Mythomagic doesn't end with just Mythomagic. He's good at all card games-- he might not be out, but he does throw a wrench into everyones plans by changing the suit, or putting down an two and always having only a couple cards in his hand at any given time. 

Hazel throws a glance over her shoulder and stands up suddenly, crying: "Five minutes 'till midnight!"

Suddenly everyone is throwing down their cards and grabbing their booze of choice and scrambling to fit on the couches. They end up pressed together even more tightly than they were at the table, but no one minds. Percy has Nico tucked under his arm on his right, and Annabeth on his left, who has her legs tangled up with Renya's. Beside Nico is his sister Hazel and he looks content. This is how they are. This is family. This is home.

The countdown starts and they all take a breath in together as one, to shout with the rest of the world: "TEN! NINE!" Percy can feel Nico's hand give his side a gentle squeeze, and he squeezes Nico's shoulder in return.

"EIGHT! SEVEN!" they shout and Percy can see the smile creeping up on Nico's face.

"SIX! FIVE!" Beside him Annabeth has laughter in her voice. 

"FOUR! THREE!" Hazel's holding Nico's hand tight in her own, their fingers laced together. 

"TWO!" They cry together. And just before the final count, Percy turns to Nico. He's surprised to find Nico's thinking the same thing. "ONE!" the room cries, and they meet half way. 

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the room erupts into cheers and kisses and laughter.

Nico pulls away first, whispering, "Happy New Year, Percy."

"Happy New Year, Nico."

 

_xii. xxx_

Their first time is slow and gentle. They fumble with each other and accidentally elbow each other in the gut that bring huffs of laughter. Boxers get tangled with legs and shirts get stuck when they're tugged off. Fingers run through hair and over shoulders and down backs. Warm hands leave hotter touches. They ache for each other, and shudder in pleasure. They can see the world in each other eyes, and with each gasp one takes in, the other breathes out. 

And while the pleasure shooting through their bodies is almost too much to bear, the kisses they exchange are soothing, loving; gentle enough to ground them and hold them through the storm. They kiss here, this stretch of muscle that runs up Nico's neck; here, Percy's collar bones; here, their mouths, swollen pink. Here and here.

They move with and against each other, and it's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Nico grabs Percy's face to bring their mouths together in a searing kiss as he comes undone, with Percy not far behind.

 

_xiii. sometimes there are no words that can be said._

Percy's mother dies unexpectedly. It had been a heart attack that happened one Thursday afternoon, and though they rushed her to the hospital and had been trying to stabilize her, in the end they couldn't save her.

For weeks after her death the ocean around long island had been angry and violent. It rained more than it ever had before as Percy grieved. 

The funeral had been a quiet, solemn event. Percy found himself grateful for Nico's help with leading the procession and putting it together. There would have been no way he could have done it himself and Nico understood death in a way other people didn't. With Nico by his side, he knew his mother would be getting a proper send off. 

He'd had tears rolling down his face as he spoke about her. He spoke about how loving she is (was), how full of life she is (was). She is (was) the best mother he could have ever asked for because she is (was) endlessly patient, endlessly nurturing.

"Gods," he'd said, his voice catching, "I could stand here all day, all week and try to tell you how funny and daring she was, but it wouldn't be enough time."

That night Nico had gone home with Percy and fell into bed with him. They just lay there, side by side, curled together like commas, protecting one another. They lay there for hours wide awake. Nico offers to order in, but Percy says he's not hungry, so he puts his arm around Percy. There is nothing he can say right now to make hurt any less, nothing that won't seem empty.

At some point Percy complains of the house feeling too big and too small at at once and Nico remedies it by taking the chance to make some warm soup of some kind (he didn't check the label on the can but its some sort of Italian vegetable from the smell) because Percy needs to eat. And when he gets back, he shuts the door with a backwards kick of his foot and turns on the light with his elbow.

Percy groans from under the covers but Nico tells him to get up and eat something because this will help, it will. Reluctantly Percy listens and slurps his soup down slowly as Nico carefully chooses something on Netflix. Once he's done, he presses close to Nico, because somehow this is helping with the house feeling too big and too small at once.

Many more hours pass and though Percy is nearly passing out from exhaustion he refuses to sleep, afraid of what his dreams may bring. Nico stays up too for he and sleep never got along well anyway. Percy does finally start to drift to sleep somewhere around 4 a.m which is a blessing for the both of them-- Percy needs to sleep to give his body a rest from feeling the sorrow in his bones. Just before he falls asleep he feels Nico kiss his forehead. 

It's more than enough.

* * *

There's a skill, an artistic talent, really, to kissing Nico di Angelo. Like any art form, practise makes perfect and Percy would gladly give all his free time to learning Nico. He wants to spend all his days tangled together in Nico's arms on hot summer days, stormy autumn evenings, festive winter nights, and brisk spring mornings, to learn how to kiss and touch the son of Hades in the exact right way to make his head spin, and breath hitch in his throat.

Already he knows that Nico likes his private life private because public displays of affection make him uncomfortable, and as a general rule, the kisses he receives better be filled with feeling. He likes long lingering kisses the best. The kind that remind him that he's wanted and that his feelings are reciprocated just as strongly.

Nico doesn't like kisses that feel quick and thoughtless, or something to show off to other people. Percy knows Nico's enjoys fleeting kisses only when he's teasing him, or when he's heading out the door, and comes back to get the kiss he nearly forgot. He likes them rough and messy only when he's in the mood, and when he knows they won't be interrupted. Only when they're both filled with a want so deep and aching they can't help that all their finesse has gone out the window. 

And maybe that makes Nico seem fussy, or not worth it, but Percy doesn't mind-- everyone is different after all and Nico is Nico. He's sentimental and wants things to last. He's faced too much loss, and gone through too much suffering to be denied these things; Percy can't deny him these things. These kisses they share can be healing, and comforting. 

But there is still more to be learned. There are the lazy good morning kisses to be learned, brief and sloppy because no one likes morning breath; the kisses on the backs of injured battle worn hands as if thats going to make them better; kisses left along the strong lines of well muscled shoulders with arms wrapped around venerable sides they've learned to protect after years of close calls; kisses that chase from one side of the mouth to the other--

To kiss the son of Hades is an art. Percy might never been all that great in painting, for his people never got any better than stick, and though his singing might be on bar with a banshees shrieking, he is good at kissing-- at loving-- Nico di Angelo.

**Author's Note:**

> I have two other Percio fics in the work one is 40k and growing, and the other has the beginning sort of half sketched out and though i know where im going with it i dont have details and cries plotting  
> also i was looking through new fics that got posted and theres one with with a strikingly similar opening to my own.......cries


End file.
